Perfect
by GrayToneSkies
Summary: The events that led up to Toxsa and Chooki teaming up with Ceylan and Guren are unknown. When did Chooki and Toxsa meet, anyways? Sometimes it is better to never meet one another than suffer, as a certain yellow Knight might tell us. Trigger warning. Rated T for parasuicide and suicide. Feel free to ragequit or flame. If you read it, please review it! I want to know how to improve.


Just real quick, the teacher is Mrs. Finnwick when/if she taught elementary school, and the bullies are, as Chooki said in one episode, "the meanest guys in the whole school". They aren't OCs. Also, Kiro is born halfway in.  
TRIGGER WARNING TRIGGER WARNING TRIGGER WARNING. SUICIDE AND A PARASUICIDE.

* * *

_**I must know how to tolerate this life's imperfections.**_

When Chooki was six, this was all he really understood about his life. He had to know how to put up with a lack of perfection. Of course, he knew he wasn't flawless himself. He just knew he was better than everyone else at everything. That was just who he was: Chooki Mason, the perfectionist. Little did he see that he would soon discover his purest opposite when he moved to Benham City, and more than just an encounter. He would be shocked to find that this opposite force would be his closest friend.

"Everyone, this is Chooki Mason. He's a soccer player from his old school all the way from England." The teacher said with her bubbly smile, "Please give him a warm welcome."

Chooki looked across the room with a lot of disdain in his eyes, think to himself how pathetic they all were. They didn't look strong or athletic like him, and a lot of them weren't even close to cute, especially not that bug eyed boy with green hair and dark skin. It was possibly the most annoying thing ever, looking at him. He was so imperfect that Chooki had to question whether he would tolerate those faults.

"Chooki, please sit beside Toxsa. Toxsa, please raise your hand." The teacher chirped.

That same bug eyed boy he had been scrutinizing earlier raised his hand. Chooki walked over there, and Toxsa tossed him a toothy smile, putting his hand out for a high five. If only Chooki had tried to be nice in the first place, he might have actually done so, but Chooki was trying to become perfect. He didn't have time for somebody whose flaws ran so deep.

When P.E. rolled around and soccer turned out to be the activity, Chooki Mason looked around. All of the kids he was placed with were either too scrawny or too chunky to be real athletes. He smirked to himself.

This is too easy, Chooki thought to himself.

He looked at the others, noting that Toxsa was on the other team. He was almost ready to humiliate the scrawny, dark skinned boy, but he frowned when he saw what was going on over there. One of the boys purposefully knocked Toxsa over, the young boy losing his balance and ending up on his rear. All Chooki understood of their voices was laughter, and one taunt that made him feel angry at those kids.

"Nobody wants you around, Dalton," The ringleader said, "You're a useless waste of space!"

Chooki saw Toxsa try to stand up, but they shoved him back down, one of them placing a foot onto the skinny child's chest. After a few minutes of overhearing key comments about how Toxsa was unwanted, stupid, or useless, Chooki couldn't take it anymore. He dropped the soccer ball and kicked it into the side of a bully's head, a prideful smirk forming on his lips. He aimed well.

"Hey, you! Leave him alone." Chooki told them, strutting over to them like a peacock.

Toxsa looked at Chooki like he was crazy, "Don't-"

"Shut up, puke!" The bully with his foot on Toxsa's chest stomped on him, Toxsa giving a grunt, "And whaddaya want, new kid?"

The brunet male bluntly said, "I want you to leave this kid alone or I'll make you sorry."

"Ohhhhhh, I'm so scared." One of them taunted.

The next one also feigned fright, "Oh no, what will we ever do? This blond kid is sooo scary!"

The main one with blue hair grunted, "We're not stopping for you."

"Suit yourself."

_"AUUUUUGH, STOP!"_

Chooki had twisted the blue haired boy's arms, and wasn't stopping for anything. He dropped to his knees, begging softly at a whimper, crying. He ignored the pleads and looked at the other two.

"I think you should both leave." Chooki told them calmly, "If you do, I'll let him go."

They both scrambled away as fast as they could. He let their leader's arm go, and that one took off running just like the other ones did. Toxsa looked at Chooki in shock, amazement, and fear.

He looked at Toxsa, pulling down a hand to help up the green haired boy.

"Thanks," Toxsa murmured, "I owe ya. They really had me."

Chooki nodded, "Don't mention it. It's Chooki Mason."

"I'm Toxsa Dalton. Want me to help you get settled in?"

_**I must know how to tolerate his imperfections.**_

Ever since that day, the duo had become steadfast friends. Chooki and Toxsa were nearly jointed at the hip once their families had met, and if one came over to the other's house, it was a simple sense of regularity. To both sets of parents, both boys were their sons. They didn't think anything about having one stay the night without plans.

Nobody ever found it out of place.

That storming night one and a half years, however, the Daltons were surprised to hear the doorbell ring. It was extremely late at night, and it was long after Chooki would visit, so when Toxsa opened the door, he was shocked to see his best friend standing at his doorstep. Toxsa's eyes gleamed with worry, only to jump when the crash of lightning only a few feet from Chooki happened. The brunet before him didn't even flinch, and was soaked with rain that dripped off of the athlete like a wet towel.

"Chooki, what are you doing here?" Toxsa felt fear for his friend slowly bubbling up as his friend began to cry.

Chooki begged between sobs, "Toxsa, please let me stay..."

"Dude, what happened? You look like somebody reset your life." Toxsa asked, stepping aside to allow the soaked mess to come in.

Chooki didn't answer him, but the Dalton family got him a pair of pajamas that they kept for him at their house. Soon, Chooki was changed into his pajamas, Wakamei examining the cuts that were on Chooki's hands. Toxsa silently undid the ponytail his best friend always had in, letting the thick, soft strands be free. The green haired youth rested his chin on Chooki's crown, a delicate look in his eyes as he played with the blond star in the front of his friend's hair. Toxsa was scared by the bruise on Chooki's left cheek.

"Wakamei, Toxsa, mister and missus Dalton, thank you..." Chooki whispered.

Mrs. Dalton smiled sadly, "Let me get you something to drink, honey."

"Yes please." Chooki agreed in a quiet tone.

Mr. Dalton asked, "What happened?"

"Yeah, Chook. You know you can tell us anything." Toxsa murmured, trying not to sound concerned.

Chooki stared at the floor, slowly meeting Wakamei's eyes. "My dad hit me."

"What?" Wakamei suddenly looked angry, as if it had been Toxsa who was struck.

Immediately, Chooki stood up with shame in his eyes, realizing what he said just dragged the Dalton family into his problem. He never intended it. Toxsa fell back onto the couch, having been resting on top of his friend. The green haired boy stared at his best friend, eyes filled with such worry for Chooki that it made him feel even more guilt.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here." Chooki mumbled, "I'll leave once I get my clothes-"

"No way!"

Toxsa's sudden interruption seemed to stall everything, even Mrs. Dalton's movements to bring Chooki a mug of warm milk. The brunet stopped any attempt at leaving, and moments of statuesque lack of movement is broken when Toxsa clasped Chooki's hand in his own. The brown eyed boy looked serious.

"No. You need to work this out where there are people who can protect you if things go south." He snapped.

Chooki stared into his best friend's concerned eyes as he wondered why he was so terribly worried for him. Toxsa shouldn't have to hurt for him, it was bad enough that he was in pain. It brought more pain for him than comfort despite his good intentions.

"Thank you..." Chooki finally murmured.

"You'd do the same for me."

_**I know how to tolerate his imperfections.**_

"Move it, shortstock!"

Chooki gritted his teeth as Toxsa complied shyly, not even bothering to say that he was in line before them. The brunet looked at the brown eyed boy as he shuffled out of the way. It was fifth grade, a good couple of years since Chooki's dad had hit him. Things had worked out pretty smoothly, though Chooki still flinched when his dad raised his voice. Right now, though, he had one thing on his mind: Toxsa Dalton.

What had once been the biggest imperfection he had ever seen had soon become his dearest friend, that of which was a brother to his soul. Chooki hated the other kids, the way they pushed Toxsa around and made him feel bitter and lonely. Toxsa was starting to avoid Chooki, hoping that it would prevent the bitterness from rubbing off on the athlete. Nobody should have to suffer like he was, especially not his best friend. Every once in a blue moon, Chooki would lose his temper, and he would just throw the biggest, most violent tantrums in the world. Even his yooung cousin Kiro didn't scream and put holes in walls the way Chooki did.

"Toxsa, you shouldn't let them push you around like that!" Chooki told his friend, voice full of frustration.

Toxsa looked down without a word.

"Don't ignore me. Dude, this isn't funny or cool, you have me worried!" Chooki tried again.

Toxsa replied, his voice barely audible, "Don't be. I won't be troubling you for much longer..."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Toxsa got out of the line, adjusting his long sleeve shirt silently as he dragged his feet. Ever since near the end of fourth grade, Toxsa hadn't been himself. He'd lost the vivid fire in his eyes that had made him who he was. The bullying had gotten worse and worse until it had escalated to true violence, where sometimes the green haired boy would come to class with a bloody nose and limping, or cradling his arm that the bullies twisted, wishing the bruising would just fade away. Chooki always seemed to arrive a moment too late to help him, or he was already in class and wondering what was holding up the younger male.

Toxsa balled his hands into tight fists, ignoring the tears beginning to form in his eyes as he walked into the bathroom. He knew Chooki cared a lot for him, but Toxsa couldn't find his way out of this pain and lack of feeling. He hadn't laughed or smiled without having to force it in months, and he was finally ready to end it. He didn't want to do the deed at home- Wakamei didn't need to walk into his room and find that. He wanted it where everyone who had ever hurt him could see that they'd won.

Toxsa looked in the mirror for a long moment, then whispered, "Goodbye."

The green haired boy's hands shook as he pulled a container of bleach out of his backpack and unscrewed the cap. He gazed at it, whispering unconsciously that he was going to die. He said that over and over as he shook, pressing his back against the wall, wishing that things weren't hurting him that much. He wasn't ready to die. He wasn't ready to end his life yet, with all the pain put aside. He hadn't even cut himself to alleviate the stress, anger, and pain. He knew Chooki would see the cuts and lose his mind.

"I'm sorry," Toxsa said, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I made everyone hate me. I'm sorry that they do, and it's my own fault. I can't blame anyone else for this. I'm sorry Chooki will have to find me like this, but..."

Toxsa swallowed hard, trying to use the bleach as a meditative focus point. It didn't work, though, and he began to be overwhelmed by tears. They swirled the world around him into a million different colors. He sobbed and sobbed, not sure how to stop himself from crying. The only thought that didn't involve how sorry he was was his pondering on why the bleach had yet to spill all over his hands and burn him. He silently begged for the tears to stop.

Finally, the green haired male continued, "... Chooki, he'll get over me when I'm gone. He'll be sad, but he'll be relieved... And mom and dad won't have to work so hard to keep me around. I'm sorry that Wakamei might miss me, but I, I know she'll be happier once I'm dead, too. I'm sorry I made so many mistakes, that I was always such a disappointment to everyone, and I..."

A new set of cries interrupted his pleads, but he managed to push through and keep talking, jittery and horrible as they may be, "I-I hope th-they all live happier lives w-without me! I'm s-s-sorry that I'm a-a waste of space, and I'm sorry that... that they'll have to clean up the messes I made!"

Scalding tears ran down his cheeks as he tried to ignore his survival instincts. He closed his eyes and held the jug tight.

"I'm sorry. God forgive me for existing."

When he went to raise the bleach container, he felt a hand on top of his own prevent him from bringing it to his lips. A sob that wasn't his was heard, though it was a lot quieter than Toxsa's, so he opened his eyes, wondering if the angels were crying for him. He saw Chooki standing in front of him, tears in his best friend's green eyes as he held the bleach container down. The brunet capped it off with the lid, then took it from Toxsa's hand and placing it on the floor. Chooki then clasped Toxsa''s hands in one of his own, the other resting on Toxsa's cheek.

"No." Chooki's voice was faint.

Toxsa whispered, "I'm sorry."

"_Stop apologizing!_" Chooki screamed at him, "Why would you ever think I would be _relieved_ by your death?! Toxsa, no! No!"

Toxsa simply watched his friend's eyes. They were filled with panic, hurt, and anger, but mostly terror.

Chooki snapped, "I don't want you to die. Never. I don't care want everyone else is saying, but I wouldn't survive it if you'd succeeded."

"How long have you been here...?" Toxsa asked.

Chooki said, "The whole time. I was here for every word of it."  
"Why?"

"_Never_ doubt how far I'll go to save you."

_**I know his imperfections.**_

"No way, dude!" Toxsa snapped.

Chooki tried to reason with him, "They could learn to be capable of helping themselves, and that could lead to another form of helping us."

"No." Toxsa replied firmly, "I know that you're all for them joining us, but we make a good duo."

"Toxsa-"

"Cut it out, Chooki. No way. I'm not agreeing to them joining and that's final."

Toxsa stood up and began walking away from the school, heading to the bridge without another word. It made Chooki feel a bit frustrated, but it didn't matter. Toxsa was still there, still by his side after all they'd been through, and it all just felt right that way. Still, Chooki couldn't help but remember that the Tenkai Knights were a team of four, not two teams of two, and that bothered him severely.

"You sure?" The brunet pressed.

Toxsa replied, "When my video game systems freeze over."

"Fine," Chooki slumped forward, slightly disappointed by his friend's narrow mind, "If you really won't work with them, I guess."

Toxsa looked back for a moment, "... I know, I know. I sound really unfair right now, and you think that this is total bogus, but I just can't trust again yet. I'm just... not ready."

"... I understand." Chooki noticed the pained look in the green haired boy's eyes, and let the topic fall away as they walked to the Turtle Diner. It was easy for him to let go of the idea once the youth had put it that way. If Toxsa wasn't quite ready to trust a new set of people again, Chooki would never force him to. That would make him feel terrible.

"So, what if they confront us?" Chooki asked absently.

Toxsa laughed and said, "Call them noobs and tell them to go away."

"Okay."

Things didn't turn out the way they'd planned. Wrong turns at every corner, they had nearly been torn to shreds by Slyger. Even worse, they had to be saved by those two knuckleheads, Bravenwolf and Tributon. Not only that, they had been confronted just as they knew they would be, and the blue boy had called them out. Chooki and Toxsa were sitting together, wondering what to do.

"Maybe we should say yes." Toxsa mumbled.

Chooki asked, "Why?"

"Because we screwed up."

_**Imperfections.**_/b

Lydendor couldn't breathe as he stood there, staring at the empty husk. In life, the armor had looked so strong and proud, like an angel had taken the metal man and breathed life into it so perfectly that it was undeniably holy. Now, he looked fragile and broken, so small. A hand clasped his shoulder. He looked at what had grabbed him, and it took him a while to remember who it was he was looking at.

Right, it was Bravenwolf.

"Lydendor." Bravenwolf murmured, "I'm so sorry."

It took a minute for Lydendor to process what was happening. "He's... gone...?"

What happened to his voice? It was too soft and weak, as if he was just an echo. He could already hear the familiar voice that would often fill the air with happiness and excitement in the back of his mind. The yellow Knight was having such a hard time understanding why his friend wasn't moving. He saw Venetta reach down to touch the empty shell, and something snapped.

"_Don't touch him!_" Lydendor snarled, using his chainsaber's blade to intercept the contact.

Bravenwolf grabbed his shoulders, "Lydendor, stop!"

"Don't. Touch. Us." He hissed, and the red Knight let go.

Lydendor walked over, pulling what used to be Valorn into his arms with a heavy sob. He felt his chest get tight in agony, with the feeling of tears in his eyes that he couldn't shed in this form. Dromus and Tributon were both in looking awkward and sad at the same time, knowing that there was no saving their friend, and that the green knight was not unconscious. Bravenwolf was attempting to comfort Lydendor to no avail, as he was inconsolable. Venetta was speaking with Beag, who was in pain as well, as Beag had a good relationship with each knight.

"Lydendor... Let's take him home." Bravenwolf quietly said.

"Y... yeah..." He whispered

...

Days.

Weeks.

A month.

They all blurred together.

"Chooki?" Guren asked, sitting beside the dazed mess of a man at the desk in his study.

The athlete had become a wreck, and hadn't left his bedroom since the funeral three weeks ago. He rarely ate, because he was never hungry anymore. The only touch he would allow was from his animals, even though he had heard that touch could heal wounds of the heart. He spoke rarely, and when he did, it sounded soft and raspy from disuse for days on end. The fact that he was starting to grow thin didn't surprise Guren, though it did scare him. Chooki was currently staring at a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon, and Guren swore his friend was giving a slight look of disgust.

Guren waited a little bit, then said, "You should let some light in. You're getting pale."

"I guess." He replied in a dull, lifeless tone.

Guren said, "Aren't you hungry?"

"No." Chooki murmured, dead in his soul. "I don't want to eat."

"Do you want anything?" Guren asked, sounding slightly desperate.

"I want Toxsa."

Guren winced, "He's... gone, dude."

"Then I want to die." Chooki responded without a hitch.

The redhead begged, "Please, Chooki, try to live your life! He wouldn't want that."

"I don't want anything if I can't die. Get out."

"Chooki-"

"Get. Out."

A soft apology left Guren's lips, but he stood and left the athlete. Chooki didn't eat the food his parents had left him, never drew the blinds on his window, and never bothered to speak when his family came in. Even Kiro's wailing didn't seem to snap him out of his trance. After a few more weeks of barely holding on, Chooki felt weak as he stood in his room like he always did. When he had last eaten, it had been over two weeks ago. His mind whirled, and everything went black as he heard a familiar voice, one that he missed. Toxsa was screaming.

_"Chooki!"_

_**Imperfect.**_

Chooki woke up with a sense of dizziness in his soul. He was sitting in a white room, dressed in hospital scrubs, with his friends lying around the room in heaps of exhaustion. Guren was the only one who looked partially rested, but even he seemed ragged. As soon as the brunet's eyes flicked open, all four of them were crowding him, words of concern spilliing out of even Gen and Beni. The former athlete stared at them.

"Chooki," Guren said when everyone collected themselves, "We're glad you're awake."

He wondered with a hoarse voice, "What happened?"

"You collapsed because you were running on zilch, dude. I found you unconscious on the floor." Ceylan said quietly.

"I was... dying?" Chooki whispered.

Ceylan nodded, "Chook, you were just laying there on the floor. You were definitely dying."

"I was dying," Chooki's voice started out soft, then rage slowly started growing into the words he began snarling, "I was dying in front of you, and you chose to keep me _alive_? I want to be dead, and you knew that, but you chose to _stop my death_?! _What is wrong with you_? I hate you!"

"You don't mean that, dude. I know you're hurting over Toxsa- we all are- but that isn't a reason to end your life."

"I hate everyone. All of you."

"You're just feeling sad, Chooki." Guren murmured.

Chooki spat, "More like I'm already dead inside."

"Come on, dude, this isn't who you are. Ever since T-" Guren winced, then changed his choice of words, "Ever since he died, you haven't been yourself. It's like you aren't even the same person anymore. You haven't shown up for a single call on Quarton, and you quit your sports teams."

He replied evenly, "I don't care."

"We need you just as much as Toxsa did."

"Bite me, loser."

Everyone froze up, because they knew Guren wouldn't react well to those words, even if it was just because of pain and sadness. Guren made a face, about to reach down and slap Chooki across the face, but Gen knocked the team leader to the ground. The quiet male then dragged Guren out of the room.

Ceylan snapped, "You can't keep pushing us out of your life, Chooki."

"There is no life to live. Go away." He hissed, trying to make the tears that were secretly forming from sliding down his face.

Anger was the best shield from sadness, his father had once told him that. It didn't work, though, and Chooki started breaking down despite his attempts at being bitter. The sobs began racking him, making breathing almost impossible for him. Ceylan had wrapped his arms around the broken heart that was Chooki Mason, who was no longer a man of perfection. He felt hot tears, trying to brush them away with a trembling hand unsuccessfully.

"Chooki, don't cry, dude..." Ceylan whispered to the wrecked man.

Chooki couldn't stop it, though, and he cried like there was no end to the misery he was suffering from. Without Toxsa, Chooki couldn't have pulled through anything. Now, his friend was gone, and all that was left behind was an aching sense of depression. Chooki knew what he wanted, but he couldn't have brought himself to do it. At least, not before now. After a few minutes of bawling his eyes out, Chooki began screaming and demanding to be released from the hospital so he could go home. To both his surprise and his delight, they did. Why, he was never certain, but he thanked every type of god, from the one true God of Christianity, to the okamigami of Japanese lore.

He sat beside his best friend's grave with teary eyes, and holding a bottle of drain cleaner in his hand. Nobody could find him in time to save his life, and he was glad about that. He told the others that he was going to tend Toxsa's grave. Not a complete lie, since he did clean off any problems, and he did place a boquet of roses on the grave. He smiled with tears slipping down his face.

"Love you, dude." He whispered.

After a moment, he unscrewed the cap, setting it down in the grass softly. He took a large swig of drain cleaner, and suddenly he wanted to scream until he had no voice. His throat was burning from the inside out. He took another gulp, feeling his esophagus searing, and soon the feeling reached his stomach as well. It hurt, he was in such intense pain in his abdomen that he was crying...

He liked pain.

He wanted more.

He smiled and drank again.

It kept burning.

"G..." His voice no longer worked, the burning destroying everything as he he writhed, so he sufficed with mouthing it, "Goodbye, Tenkai..."

Pain blistered within his abdomen, and he began falling into dizzying shadows. Just as he took another large swallow, he felt that his time was running out. He recalled that it took from twenty minutes to two hours to die. He could see the light at the end of the tunnel, though, so he knew it was the twenty minute version. Even if he didn't die, he would never wake up, and he knew it. Chooki could only think of one word when he saw Toxsa holding a hand out to him from the light:

_**Perfect.**_


End file.
